Outer Mountain Loop- Day 2

The desert section of the Outer Mountain Loop was not the barren wasteland we’d expected from our view from the rim two days ago. Wildflowers were still blooming, pockets of trees were hidden in canyons around the springs. These surprises make desert hiking truly special in Big Bend National Park.

Is this really the desert?

Navigation wasn’t difficult along the Dodson Trail. We were surprised people get lost so frequently.  Cairns marked paths through the washes. Signs pointed the way at trail junctions. It seemed better marked than the PCT or the Arizona Trail, but I guess it’s all what you’re used to.

Cairns and narrow path lined with spiny plants.

Pathfinder and I hiked separately at our own paces.  I zoned out.  No sustained climbs, so my legs percieved the terrain that as flat, though I suppose there were up and downs. 

Just a few switchbacks.  But mostly flat... or flatish.

Why is happiness so easy out here?  Why do all the little annoyances—like spines embedded in shoes and clothes, the stench of five days without a shower, the heat rash and sunscreen eye itch—have no impact on my happiness level?  It's like I'm able to tackle anything. What would it be like to have this mindset all the time?

Looking up at the rim of the Chisos.

I used to think backpacking would allow time for deep, philosophical thoughts about the important things in life. What really happens is that I dwell on three things: water, hammock hang sites, and plant distributions and identification. Where is the next spring?  Could I hang from those bushes?  What were all these plants called? Why do the cactus grow at odd orientations? How has the lack of grazing impacts impacted these plant communities?  Not deep thoughts, yet, it is interesting to notice what the mind dwells on.  Is this what I think are the most important thoughts to be having?

Is this paintbrush blooming in December?

When will the ocotillo bloom?

What is this?  (edit: woolly paperflower)

What type of fern lives in the desert?

Have I mentioned how awesome it is to hike without grizzlies always on my mind?

Water sources were flowing and easy to find- both Dodson spring and Fresno creek.

Homer Wilson Ranch-- can you imagine life here in 1929?

After picking up our water cache from the box near the Homer Wilson ranch house, the storm came quickly...

Fortunately, the next day would be better...

Outer Mountain Loop- Day 1

The Outer Mountain Loop is a popular 30-mile trip in Big Bend National Park that highlights a wide variety of habitats. It climbs over the Chisos Mountains twice and traverses the lower-elevation desert section beneath the towering rim. Pathfinder and I opted for two nights following the NPS suggested itinerary.  

Over the mountains and through the desert, and back over again.

Reports of the difficulty of this trip had us a little on edge. Rangers warned us that people get lost and die all the time on this route. They also advise you to carry all your water for the first 20 miles.  However, we got specific instructions on water source locations from the Big Bend Chat website and also had firsthand information that the water was flowing. But still, we didn’t know what to expect.

How much water do we carry for 2 days?

Starting from our backcountry campsite at Boulder Meadows (to get a slight head start), the climb up into the Chisos mountains via the Pinnacle Trail seemed easier to me than it had the previous day, despite my water-ladened pack. I think I was fueled by happiness.

My favorite time of day!

The oaks of Boot Canyon took my breath away for the second time. Photo by Pathfinder.

Down the Juniper Canyon Trail, new and diverse terrain captured our attention, and the views of the desert below, our future, seemed distant.  Though we would be there in only a few hours.

Soon we will be all the way down there!

Upper Juniper Springs was flowing fresh and clear in a thick grove of majestic oaks.

Our designated camping zone started after the oaks gave way to cactus and spiny shrubs. 

Pathfinder and I found a flat patch of bare earth surrounded by grasses and cactus. Under the clear open sky, we saw pleiades and cassiopeia come out, then millions more stars I can't name.

Cowboy camping.

By 7 PM, it already seemed really late since it’d been dark almost an hour, so 7 was declared the new hiker midnight, and we fell asleep to the chorus of crickets.

For more information:

Big Bend Chat- updated info and planning tips on the Outer Mountain Loop
NPS website about the Outer Mountain Loop
Mary’s excellent trip report (this is what got us inspired to do this trip)

An Introduction to Big Bend National Park

Want to go backpacking in December? Head to Big Bend National Park in a remote corner of southern Texas. What makes this area so exceptional is the tree-covered mountains that rise up two thousand feet from the Chihuahan desert floor. Miles of trail and multiple loops provide plenty of options— maybe even too many options to choose from for the first-timer.

Pathfinder climbs the Pinnacles Trail

Pathfinder and I decided to begin with an overnight “scouting” trip to help us plan our week. How many miles would be be able to cover on these trails? Would the trails be well signed, or should we allow extra time for navigation?  Was there really no water in the backcountry (like the rangers said)? Was the Chisos interesting enough to warrant a few extra nights, or would we prefer to explore elsewhere? 

This view from the Rim convinced us to plan an extra trip to explore all the trails along the Rim.

An overnight scouting trip allowed us to answer these questions and prepare us for the rest of our time.

View from near the summit of Emory Peak.

After a quiet night at Chisos campground, an early start allowed us explore the Chisos, get in a side trip to Emory Peak (7825 feet), and get excited about the views from the Rim— all with enough time to get back to our backcountry campsite before the early arrival of dusk.

Looking down Boot Canyon at the fall color in December.

Within the first few miles, a hiker who just completed the Outer Mountain Loop gave us the scoop on the water sources.  Natural water sources were flowing! Sure we planned on carrying all the water we needed, and we cached water at the public cache box at Homer Wilson Ranch the previous day, but if there was an emergency, I was relieved there was backup water available for our trip over the next few days.

Natural water in Boot Canyon

Navigation seemed strait-forward. The trails were well-signed, and the trail maps I’d downloaded on my iphone via GaiaGPS gave even more detail than our Trails Illustrated #225 Big Bend paper map that we also both carried.

I adjusted quickly to Big Bend. Dry air filling my lungs and being immersed in the heat shifted me into desert hiking mode: salty snacks, regular footcare regime, layer upon layer to sunscreen, regularly sipping water (not gulping). By the end of the day, I’d completely left Montana behind, sailing silently around blind corners (no Grizzlies or moose here!). Instead, my mind filled with thoughts of water sources, dodging cactus spines, and listening to birdsong.

No grizzly bears here!

Near the winter solstice, long hours of darkness (even this far south), must be embraced.  When else do you have the opportunity of 12 hours of time, with nothing to do but think?  When else is it OK just to be quiet? To gaze up at the new moon sky, to marval at the Milky Way brightness.  To need nothing, feel legs recovering from the miles, not caring about the dirt and sweat.  This is what it is to be at peace.

Happiness is...

Overall, having an extra day to scout the area before planning our backpacking routes and campsites gave us a better idea of the water, terrain, and allowed us to gage how many miles we'd be able to cover.  Plus, we could get excited about this gorgeous area!


For more information on Big Bend:
NPS website --how to get your backcountry permits
Big Bend Chat

Ten Steps to Hiking in Grizzly Country

I arrived in northwestern Montana this April thinking I was an experienced solo backpacker.  Because I’d dealt with black bears in “problem areas” like the Smokies and Yosemite, I thought I would easily adjust to hiking solo in grizzly country.  I thought that fears of grizzlies were overblown. 

Trailhead sign in Glaicer NP.

Turned out, it was more complicated than I'd assummed. 

After eight months, I’m certainly no expert.  Learning the best practices for hiking in grizzly country was straitforward: make noise, be constantly alert, take care with food, keep food and food smells away from camp, carry bear spray.  But the mental aspects required significant adjustment.

I found little information about solo hiking around grizzlies.  Signs and guidebooks simply say don’t do it. The vast majority of locals say don’t do it.  "Why?" I kept asking.  "Is it really that much more dangerous than going with a partner?" 

I am not making any recommendations here.  Its best to follow the official advice.  Or avoid Montana.

But here is my story of the ten steps that I took to hike here, alone:

1. Study reports of grizzly attacks.  Realize that the risk of death is low, but maulings happen more frequently.  Statistically, drownings and falls present a more serious danger.  Try (and fail) to identify patterns in the attacks.  Did the victims make obvious errors? Which areas have problem bears and the highest bear concentrations?  Listen to some people say that the Bob is safer because bears are more wild, while others say Glacier because it’s heavily monitored and bears are sort-of habituated.  Realize that bears are unpredictable, that they could be anywhere.  Even experienced hikers taking all the precautions have been attacked. 

2. Practice skills for hiking in grizzly country;
    -  How to make noise especially around blind corners.
    -  How to distinguish black bears and grizzlies, and how to respond to each.  
    -  How to carry bear spray on a belt so it says with you when you take off your pack, and doesn’t fall down a cliff and roll into a freezing cold lake.
    -  How to keep the safety on the bear spray covered so it doesn’t break in your car, and then accidentally fire into a fellow hiker’s face at the trailhead, causing all sorts of pain and leaving you feeling totally mortified and too embarrassed to ever hike with that group again, even though they were probably your best hope to find hiking buddies.

3. Practice wildlife avoidance tactics.  Choose popular trails.  Wait at empty trailheads for other hikers to arrive.   Avoid trails with grizzly signs.  Avoid hiking at dawn and dusk.  Inquire about bear activity at the backcountry ranger office.  Question everyone you pass about what wildlife they’ve seen.  Hike 10 miles to a campsite where you have a permit, only to hear about a grizzly in the area when you arrive, and hike the 10 miles out again so you don’t have to camp there alone.

Do I really want to camp here?

4.  Seek guidance from experienced solo hikers.  Discover that most of the badass female backpackers did not go through Montana alone when they were on the CDT.  Identify two superheros of backpacking and get up enough courage to ask how they went solo.  Listen carefully as they emphasize that mental state is key.   “Know your place on the food chain."  "Accept the risks you are taking."  "It’s complex,” they say. 

What does that even mean?

5. See grizzlies up close with other people.  Walk by a grizzly that you could reach out and touch with your hiking pole.  Camp in a place where a grizzly walks past the tents.  Feel what it is like to know your place on the food chain.

Notice that there is a risk to hiking with other people because you are less cautious, less aware.  Discover that hiking with other people doesn't feel that safe either. Especially when other people run from bears, or do other stupid things.

Two women running from the grizzly bear towards us on the Highline Trail.

Roadside grizzly at Logan Pass, Glacier Nationa Park.  This makes me uncomfortable for a number of reasons.  People think they are at a zoo.

6. Go solo hiking, and experience the discomfort.  Drive yourself crazy shouting and clapping and making noise.   Lie awake at night, startling at the smallest rustling.  Question whether you are cut out for Montana.  Cry at the incredible beauty.  Wish this place could feel like home.

Solo trip to Lincoln Lake.

7. Decide to stay home.  Have a backcountry camping permit and your backpack packed for the weekend, but then read the day’s news reports of a bear mauling and the FWP press release saying that bear activity is on the rise.  Call the backcountry permit office and cancel the reservation.  Try to think of something else to do, but fail to come up with anything to do at 5 AM but hike.  Face the reality that you are a hiker and your heart longs for the woods.  Spend the day lying in bed feeling depressed.

Learn that there is a measurable risk to staying home, to NOT hiking solo.

8. Feel the fear.  Have a solo bear encounter.  Feel the clarity of mind when you know danger is that close and make those smart decisions.  Have everything go well- the bear stands up on two feet to get a good look at you, then you realize it's only a black bear as it runs off.  

Completely realistic likeness of the solo black bear encounter in Glaicer.

 9. Watch Night of the Grizzlies and the next morning hike to one of the sites of the maulings.  Sit at the edge of Trout Lake for an hour in a hail storm by yourself.  Think about death.  Feel what it is like to be completely alive.

Trout Lake-- site of one of the 1967 grizzly attacks that changed attitudes towards bears and led to our modern managment system.

10. Accept the risk of going solo.  Feel the mental shift that has happened.  Measure the risks, find ways to mitigate the risks.  Feel the fear but also the even stronger drive to be out in this beautiful grizzly country.  Value the wildness of this place.  Respect that you are traveling through the home for these endangered creatures.  Realize that you probably shouldn’t even be here, but that having this experience is powerful and is challenging you in ways you had never imagined, certainly would never have asked for.  Be grateful for all of this.

Solo trip to Dawson Pass, near Two Medicine.

Again, I'm not saying I recommend going solo.  But as someone who previously backpacked solo for many years, and as someone who had trouble finding available hiking buddies, this is what I did.  Because I weighted the risk of hiking solo with the risks of staying home.

I hope this will give you some idea of what they mean when they tell you not to hike solo in grizzly country.

If you have questions, please do not hesitate to contact me.  My email address is listed on my "about me" page.

For more information:

Night of the Grizzlies -watch the documentary or read the book

Good article on food protection by Andrew Skurka

Glacier National Park's bear advice and video

Bear biology and research

Park Creek in Glacier

Last mountain goat survey of the season: Park Creek, Glacier National Park.

I can tell why they needed someone to do this site— it’s 11 miles into the backcountry.  To pull it off in one day requires 22 miles.  Plus, this southern section is not a popular area.  One friend say this area is “boring” and that it’s “just trees.” All of this suits me perfectly!

Just trees.

At the survey site, I spot them quickly: three mountain goats, mere specks on the distant cliff.  Now that I’ve got the search image after a whole season of doing surveys, they jump out at me.  Still, I scan for a full hour, just to see if I missed any.

Borrowed gear for the mountain goat survey.  As a VIP volunteer, I even get an NPS radio!

Doing surveys on my hikes gives me purpose in where I go on my days off.   It is fun to be engaged, to be observant for a reason.  To wonder about the goats, to feel like I'm doing my part to help them.  Like I am making an effort to protect this place and the wild creatures that live here. 

Can you see the mountain goat on the distant cliff face?

Afterwards I find out I have volunteered over 160 hours this summer doing surveys at 22 sites.  I may not have hiked anywhere near the number of miles that I did last year, but somehow seeing the tally of my volunteer hours fills me with a deep satisfaction that can’t be quantified.

How else can you respond to this overwhelming beauty?

Fall in Glaicer.

For more information:
Volunteer for Glacier National Park's Citizen Science Program
Hike the Park Creek Trail from Walton Ranger Station.

Gunsight Pass

A classic overnight backpack in Glacier National Park- Gunsight Pass.  WITH FRIENDS!

Hitchhiking from McDonald Lodge to Jackson Glacier Overlook.

Deadwood Falls.  We hypothesize that they have given the prettiest places in Glacier unattractive names for the purpose of trying to decrease visitation.

One at a time.

Just as we were wondering what makes a glacier different from a snowfield, we meet three volunteers who can answer our question: glacier MOVE, and are greater than 25 acres.

If gale force winds weren’t making us feel unstable enough, remains from a recent snowfall keep us conscious of gravity.

Why are the rocks so many colors?  No geologists showed up to answer this question, unfortunately.  Will need to research geology references for this area.  Anyone have recommendations?

Having trouble fitting all this NATURE into my camera.

"Autumn is a second spring where every leaf is a flower." -Albert Camus

Folded strata of Gunsight Mountain.

Switchbacking down the cirque to Lake Ellen Wilson campsite.

Habituated mountain goats circle our campsite during the night and brush against tents/ tarps, seeking salt from our urine and sweat.

Another camper reported being stalked by goats on his 3 AM trip to the privy.  He joked about it in the morning, but said it wasn’t funny when he was in the pitch dark wearing only his boxer shorts!

Overall, this was a gorgeous hike and I'm delighted to return to Lake Ellen Wilson after my first "failed" attempt to camp here.  Much better this time with friends. 

More on mountain goats
Reading Chadwick's A Beast the Color of Winter, has given me a much better understanding of the goats.

Read Glacier National Park mountain goat action plan here.

Here is another article about the habituated goats in Washington with more about why they are attracted to urine. 

Do your part around habituated goats-- try to pee in the privy, and if not be sure to pee on rocks (to prevent goats from digging up plants).

Grinnell Glacier

If you hike popular trails in Glacier National Park during early September, you do not hike alone.  Especially not on the trip to Grinnell Glacier from Many Glacier.

Water and rock on the trail to see the glacier.

The hikers I pass are talkative, sharing delight in the scenery and assuring me the climb is “worth it.”  (Guess they don’t know that I love the climbing part.)  I get the impression that because I am solo, they are more open to stopping to chat. A few seem worried about me hiking by myself, and leave me with a cautionary “Be careful.”  How do they all seem to know I’m solo, and not just ahead of my hiking partner?

A few miles in, I start to hear stories of the grizzly and her two cubs.  Each passing version of the story has a different angle.  “The grizzlies were above the trail.” “They went down the valley.”  “Those tourists ran towards the grizzlies and got close to the cubs!”  “Look at this photo of the crazy tourists getting right up close to the mama and cubs—they are such idiots!” 

Two hikers are stopped with binoculars pointing across the valley.  They point and finally I can see the grizzly followed by her two cubs, tiny specks on the far hillside. 

On that far cliff is the grizzly and cubs.

I’m glad I didn’t see them up close.  They traveled quickly, to now be that far away already.

I keep climbing up to the glacier.  Making extra noise.  Then the sight takes my breath away.

WOW this is Grinnell Glacier!  What a sight!  It is worth it!

All of these glaciers and ice fields used to be one continuous glacier, but are now getting smaller and breaking up as a result of climate change.  I'm glad I got to see this glacier now, while it's still here.  Because it'll be gone soon.

On the return trip, I wonder if I will see the grizzlies again.  There are long stretches without any other hikers, so I sing and make noise around blind corners.

All is clear though.  

For more information on this hike:
Grinnell Glacier